“Never squander an opportunity to tell someone you love or appreciate them.” – Kelly Ann Rothaus

World Traveler or Mental Traveler?

According to this map I have only traveled 9% of the world which means that I have MANY more adventures to look forward to!  The cool fall weather and drizzle have me daydreaming about what my next travel adventure might look like. Australia? South America? Antarctica? You can make a map for yourself and join me as a mental traveler when time, money or circumstance keep you grounded. Enjoy the trip!

Ode to Alaska

I lived in Alaska for almost four years. Just last week I returned from a quick trip to the “Upper One” as we sourdoughs call our beloved Alaska state. I think it is fitting that I give Alaska the applause she deserves and let the world know what an incredible adventure it was just to observe the seasons there.  

The Last Frontier:

Backpacking and camping in Peter's Hills with Denali as a morning view.

Bald eagles gather in Eagle River 

 My first King Salmon catch and an experience in combat fishing I will not soon forget.

 The thrill of a catch in your favorite fishing hole.

 The wild colors of Alaska

Yellow signals the slow down of summer

 Dog sled rides

 World Ice Art Championship in Fairbanks

 Finding a wildflower at Portage Glacier

 Hiking and climbing to the top of Flat Top

 Halibut fishing

 Checking out the North Pole

Flying with K2 to Denali

 Marveling at the glaciers from the air

 Eating king crab like a queen

 From creek to campfire; dinner within 30 minutes!

 Snow machine trip in Hatcher's Pass

 Midnight adventure to the cabin for a sauna

Headlamp not optional...

 Getting my scuba certification in Whittier open waters while it snows

 Baby moose in the spring

 Bush planes and incredible views

 Fireweed

 Beary nice cabin

 Calving glaciers in Prince William Sound

 Taking in the view at Gold Cord lake

 Taking an icey swim in Gold Cord glacial waters

 Hiking on and exploring the majestic Matanuska glacier

 My second King Salmon catch in Talkeetna, Alaska

 Cheering at the Iditarod

Moosing around.

From the outdoor adventures to the wildlife, to learning about the native cultures or just watching the seasons go by, there is NOTHING to equal the grand experience Alaska can offer. I will never forget the awe and thrills of seeing the Northern Lights or being in the presence of Humpback & Beluga whales, Grizzly & Black Bears, Moose and so much wildlife on a daily basis rather than just a rare sighting. There is wonder in feeling an earthquake or experiencing a volcano eruption or in exploring the snow and ice with skiis, snowshoes, ice skates and sleds. I love the termination dust (first snow) on the mountains, the long summer days, the ease of finding solitude and beauty. I will miss the fast driving and the lack of traffic. There is a friendly, "help your neighbor,"  pioneer spirit in Alaska that is unequaled in the rest of the world. Whether you are a transplant Alaskan or part of the native cultures in Alaska: Alutiiq, Athabaskan, Iñupiaq, Cup'ik, Yup'ik, Tlingit, and Unanqan, these are shared core values.

1.        Show Respect to Others  -  Each Person Has a Special Gift

2.        Share what you have  -  Giving Makes You Richer

3.        Know Who You Are  -  You Are a Reflection on Your Family

4.        Accept What Life Brings  -  You Cannot Control Many Things

5.        Have Patience  -  Some Things Cannot Be Rushed

6.        Live Carefully  -  What You Do Will Come Back to You

7.        Take Care of Others  -  You Cannot Live without Them

8.        Honor Your Elders  -  They Show You the Way in Life

9.        Pray for Guidance  -  Many Things Are Not Known

10.     See Connections  -  All Things Are Related

I leaned so much about the world and about myself during my time in Alaska.

I can only hope I get the chance to live there again someday.

I love Alaska.

Do what makes your heart sing...

“Every single day do something that makes your heart sing.” – Marcia Wieder

Speak the words. Be bold.

Walter Mosley said, “Every word that we speak is a chance to change what is bad into something good”.

I was in the park playing a friendly game when I overheard a young man loudly bragging to his group of friends . He used a derogatory word so often in his speech that I thought it might even be a new word in his vocabulary that he was testing out on his friends.  I said out loud to my companion, “My ears are hurting,” but what I meant was that my ­­heart was hurting. The blatant and repeated use of this word was painful to witness.  I had the urge to speak to him. My instincts as a teacher to correct him were phenomenally strong and even stronger was my will as a member of humanity to stop that word and not let it continue to grow and breed among his friends.  I spent a moment in deliberation.  Should I go over there and tell him to stop? Is it my place? Should I explain how that word is offensive? Should I say it to all of them? Should I pull him aside?  What are the right words to say? I took too long in my decision and then their conversation shifted. I felt I had missed the chance to change what was bad into something good. I don’t know his name. I can’t write him a letter or call him up later.  I failed. 

I know I am not the only person to have missed a chance to speak and change something bad into something good. It is incredible how easy it is to mess things up.  We can make a mess with simple miscommunication, an argument, misused sarcasm, a “zinger” of an insult, rumors spread through gossip…our capacity to hurt others is astounding, but our capacity to heal that hurt is equally potent.  When you care about someone there is no expiration date on righting the wrongs of our past so long as you still have the opportunity to reach out to that person.  There are very few problems that can’t be solved with taking the time and gathering the courage to speak any variation of these phrases:

I love you.

I am sorry.

Please forgive me.

Thank you.

I practice these phrases often. They bring me so much peace and allow my heart to be free from stress and worry when I act bravely in the speaking of them.   I recently encouraged a worried friend to send a quick message to someone they may have offended and they were soon rewarded with the relief of using these words too.  They work.  I know they are simple. I know it seems cliché, but I dare you to try them and experience the results that follow. 

I don’t want to fail again in a situation like my time at the park. It is not enough to KNOW the right words to say, it is also to ACT promptly in the speaking of them.  I’ll continue to practice these four phrases and be hopeful that if ever it comes up again, I’ll be ready.  “Excuse me, I am sorry I overheard your conversation. Your use of that word is extremely offensive. Please can you stop using it? Thank you.” 

Speak the words. Be bold.  Take a chance and change what is bad into something good. 

“Love bravely, live bravely, be courageous.  There’s really nothing to lose.  There’s no wrong you can’t make right again.” – Jewel Kilcher, B. 1974

Everyday...

“Every day that we wake up is a good day.  Every breath that we take is filled with hope for a better day.  Every word that we speak is a chance to change what is bad into something good.”  – Walter Mosley

Just Keep Breathing

Breathing. We all do it. It is so important and vital to our lives. It is simple. It is sometimes a conscious effort and sometimes unconscious effortlessness. We have so many different types of breath. Take a breath. Draw it deep from your belly. Try one from your chest and stretch your ribs out wide.  Sift a breath through your throat and listen to the sound it makes. Some people only breathe through the mouth and most everyone can use their nose.  Breathing creates movement that can be as regular as ocean waves.  It can be an intense effort to draw a single breath or even blow out a candle. Have you thought about your breath lately? How do you breathe?

 People naturally respond to the breathing around them. A mother in labor has her own kind of breathing.  A newborn’s first breath and cry are often a moment of sheer relief and the joyful introduction a family experiences. A quick draw of breath through clenched teeth is cause for concern or an indication of pain.  A sigh at the end of a stressful day is a different breath than the sigh at the end of a satisfying one.  The snoring of an exhausted sleeper can make you want to laugh or cry sometimes. We can fear or wait with excitement for the moments that take our breath away. We can hold our breath in anticipation, with exhilaration or in a game.  Those who explore under the ocean or in space know never to hold their breath. Many have ached with the sound of each precious breath on a life support machine. Eventually there is that last and final breath. When you feel anxious a deep breath can release the tension.  It takes breath to laugh, to speak, to sing, to whistle. We can fog up a window, blow relief on a stinging scrape, make a windmill spin, let loose a cool down breath after activity, blow a bubble or play an instrument.

Keep Breathing, Breathe, Breathe On Me, Breathe Again, Learning To Breathe, You Take My Breath Away, Harder to Breathe, My Last Breath, and Breathless are just a small smattering of song titles, not to mention the countless mentions of breath in poetry, books, art, media, yoga, healthcare, many world religions blah blah blah...should I go on and waste my breath?  Scientifically it is just the process that moves air in and out of the lungs. Mentally it can be an exercise. Physically it can stop you short of your goal or help you win the race. Spiritually it can signify a simple prayer or bring about peace and new life. 

When your life pauses in the perfect moment, take a breath and enjoy the sweetness of where you are. When life at times flattens you out or has leveled your spirit, take a breath, hold it in, and let it out.  Sometimes it is all you can do just to know you are breathing.  Our ability to breathe can seem so small and unimportant, but it is a powerful, powerful thing.  With each breath today, enjoy knowing you are alive; your breath is a treasure and can help you set sail on any adventure you can dream up.

…don’t forget to breathe.

Take a Moment...

“We are most alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.” – Thornton Wilder

Our Adventure

ad·ven·ture (ad∙ven´·cher) 

an unusual, exciting, typically hazardous and often romantic experience

I am an adventurer. As I begin this new expedition into the blogging world I feel it would be useful for you to know more about me. Some of my aims are:  To live a healthy life. To love deeply and be loved deeply. To focus on the good and right things of this world and do what I can to change the bad.  To be useful and be passionate about what I do.  To dance, sing, read, reflect, taste, see, feel, write and enjoy my life’s experience.  To live my life adventurously.

I have been on an incredible adventure of a life, so far not only in travel to countries all over the world, but also in life experiences.  My passage has been everything from arduous to effortless and the lessons I have learned are my treasures.  Another great adventurer, Amelia Earhart once said, “When a great adventure is offered, you don’t refuse it.”  So I offer up the idea with her that each life is a great adventure. I challenge you to begin to think of the direction of your life, the expeditions, travels, excursions, culture, the thrilling discoveries and richness you have if you view your life as an epic adventure.

This blog will be a new expedition in my adventure.  An expedition is a voyage or journey for the purpose of exploration or battle or a trek facing unforeseeable circumstances. I don’t know what the outcome will be, but I plan to explore ideas, experiences, travels, and share them with the world as ammunition for the battles we all face in life.  I hope you will join me for this expedition and that the journey will bring you joy. 

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.  So throw off the bowlines.  Sail away from the safe harbor….Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain

In The Beginning...

This day is a journey, 
this very moment an adventure.
-Rebecca Pavlenko-